Could Patriots Trade Away This Veteran Wide Receiver?

The Patriots need talent on offense, and they could go with an addition-by-subtraction strategy at wide receiver.

DeVante Parker’s New England career largely has been mediocre. The Patriots acquired him from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick — a 2022 fifth-round pick also was sent to Miami. The 31-year-old battled injuries throughout his two-year run with the Patriots and only caught 33 passes for 394 yards in 2023.

New England’s dysfunction on the sideline and at quarterback wasn’t Parker’s fault, but he infamously failed to take accountability for a costly drop after a Week 6 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Parker still has two years left on his contract after signing an extension last offseason, but The Athletic’s Chad Graff and Jeff Howe on Thursday released a report stating New England “could soon be shopping” Parker.

The report noted cutting the wideout before June 1 would incur more than $6 million in dead cap while opening little cap space. However, a trade could clear more than $3 million in cap space. The Patriots could even be happy with a late-round pick in return, according to The Athletic.

The Patriots have at least $83 million in cap space and could get as much as $100 million if they cut J.C. Jackson, though head coach Jerod Mayo didn’t seem so firm on the idea. But The Athletic also reported wide receiver will be a position group New England will target in free agency, and even with Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. not entering the market, the Patriots could throw their money at Calvin Ridley.

It could have more money to play around with if a Parker trade comes to fruition.